The easy guide to apartment warming party

Q: How to avoid noise issues at the housewarming party?

First, you should be aware of noise and party laws in your state, and the consequences you may face if you break them. The best way to avoid noise problems and enjoy loud music without any hassle is to make your apartment soundproof before the party. I recently published an article on how to make your apartment soundproof for parties . Read it.

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Kudos on your new apartment!

Are you excited enough to introduce your new home to your friends and relatives? You should definitely give them a treat! They deserved it. Aren’t they?

Planning housewarming or you can say apartment warming involves not too much work unlike other parties such as birthdays, wedding reception, and whatnot. But still, there are some things you should plan before throwing a housewarming party.

I believe the main problem hitting your head is about making space in your small apartment so that the maximum number of people can easily assemble.

In this article, you will get your answer. Furthermore, you will see the tricks and tips that help you to plan a housewarming party without any tension.

Table of Contents

Tips to host a housewarming in apartment

Planning of housewarming for an apartment requires additional tips to follow as compared with the plan for a standalone home or villa. The additional suggestions such as organizing things for extra seating space, reading noise laws of the apartment, etc.

Ways to create a temporary space for a housewarming party in a small apartment

Enough room to walk, talk between guests is essential for any party. But generally, in an apartment, there is very little space available as compared to a villa or bungalow type of home.

We need to think of every possible way to maximize the space by utilizing every square foot of the house.

Let’s start by:

Using large storage boxes: such as a cardboard box, Mr bean large laundry bag etc.

These storage boxes are always helping us in organizing space. It’s simple just to put every possible object that lies in your party hall arena and place it in your bedroom or anywhere in the apartment.

First, you need to search these storage boxes in your home. Usually, tv, refrigerator, wardrobe have come in these big boxes. However, if you do not find such checkout home depot, they have tons of cardboard boxes and other storage solutions available at very reasonable prices.

I specifically recommend home depot cardboard boxes because when we were moving, we had ordered 3-4 big 21 inch boxes and I am totally impressed by the quality of the cardboard.

There is another way to make a space in the apartment which we have experienced at our apartment housewarming party.

When we moved, luckily there were vacant apartments in our building, so we talked to the building manager/secretary and transferred unnecessary things from our apartment to the empty apartment.

You should definitely ask your building secretary and tell him that you are planning to throw a housewarming party and to make extra space, you will require a temporary storage option.

In our building, there was a separate party lounge available for throwing massive parties, but we had only invited 8-10 guests, so we haven’t used it.

You should ask your building folks if there is a party lounge existing or not and if it is, ask what rules and regulations, from whom you need to take permission is.

The other possible storage option you could use in your apartment are shelves located at the kitchen ceiling.

If your apartment doesn’t have such vertical shelve on the kitchen or bathroom, simply you can install it manually. Again home depot has tons of vertical shelves that can be installed over any wall of the house.
Check out my favourite recommendations for portable vertical shelves.

Or use your apartment balcony. This will not only saves space but enable guests to spend time and chill in the gallery.

More hacks to organizing space in the small apartment party hall:

1. Make use of each available bedroom, put objects on a bed. To consume less space, put everything in a stack style.

2. Make use of the extra table available at the apartment and transfer it to the bedroom as well.

3. Shifting house plants to the balcony.

4. Slide down things beneath the bed, table, and toddler crib.

5. Use the space available at the top of the almirah

6. For seating arrangements, you probably have a sofa, chairs, bean bags, etc. To make a standing space in the party hall, arrange all seating items in a line close to the wall of the apartment. That saves vast space at the center.

7. Put items such as books, groceries, kids, toys, and other small items in the closet or transfer it to the bedroom.

8. One thing people probably doesn’t think of is coat racks or table. Every guest arrives at your party, first looking for a place to off their coats or jackets. Have a table, especially for the coats in the party hall. In my apartment, I have this coat rack standing at the corner.

9. Generally, at parties, it is uncommon to drop shoes at the entrance. But if you want guests to follow this rule, arrange shoes rack either outside of the apartment (only if your apartment has CCTV), or else you can place a shoe rack near the exit door of the apartment.

10. Make use of the storage bed and trunk if you have any.

11. Transfer large items such as dressing table, portable fans, stool, etc. in the bedroom.

12. Contact neighbours if they can arrange space to move big furniture out in their home for a short time. Remember to invite them also to the housewarming party.

13. Ask guests not to bring kids of age 3-10 because housewarming is basically an adult party; there is nothing for kids to have fun. They just only consume precious space in the party hall.

Do you have any tip for organizing party hallway? Don’t forget to mention in the comment section.

Type of food to serve at an apartment housewarming party

The first thing to determine before making food plans is what time are you going to throw a party and what type of audience are you expecting at your party.

In a housewarming event, 50% of the time people are likely to plan dinner, and 50% of the time people are expected to throw a regular party and just serve pizza, snacks, bagels, etc. along with lots of wine, beer, and tequila.

For food planning, you don’t need to plan something out of the box. Just prepare standard dishes that people are likely to consume at dinner. This may vary from country to country. For example, in the united states, people can enjoy pizza, burgers, chicken, pork, turkey at their dinner.

Whatever, you plan, make sure it is enough for all of the guests.
Tip: Avoid frozen foods. Not appropriate for housewarming. It is the first party in your new apartment, make sure either you cook fresh or order fresh.

At the arrival of the guest’s pass them a beer with a quick snack available at the center of the hallway.

How to organize food stations in a small apartment?

For food stations, do not have more than 3-4 and place at the center of the hallway, so it is accessible to all guests.

One of them is always be reserved for drinks.

There could be some small stool or table available at your apartment, which is best for DIY food stations, for inspiration or ideas to make a food station check here on my food station Pinterest board.

Do not forget to style food stations and every food bowl with a place card or label. You have two options either make them at home or buy them from the online gift store.

To make food labels at home, you need just three things – rectangle pieces of a white sheet, gum, and a toothpick.

1. Write the name of the food serving on the rectangle sheet.
2. Apply gum starting from the top left corner of the paper moving down to the bottom left corner
3. Place a toothpick on it.
4. Your label is ready and looks like a flag.
5. Paste it somewhere on the food station where everyone can notice it quickly.

To avoid DIY and save time, I select some food labels and place cards you may like, and make sure to order in bulk.

How to set up a BBQ in a small apartment?

BBQ is love! Everyone loves grilled meat and chicken. But the problem is how to set up a large grill in an apartment in the event of a housewarming?

Don’t worry. I have a solution.

1. If you have access to the roof of the apartment, install a large BBQ over here. Big BBQ enables us to grill a large amount of food at a time. If you don’t have one find a local renter who can give you a day.

2. Purchase a portable grill that can easily install in the kitchen. They are very cheap, and you can use them for a lifetime in your new apartment.

Here are my best-recommended portable grills especially for apartments

How many drinks are required for the housewarming party?

It depends on the number of guest and their drinking habits. Let’s say you are inviting 10-15 guests and all of them are adults.

Some prefer beer, while others prefer tequila or vodka, or wine.

For beer
My secret to calculating the total no of beers is to identify how many people prefer beer and just multiply by 5.

For wine/tequila/vodka
I purchase one bottle for three people.

Note: Don’t be a miserly type of person when calculating a number of drinks. You and your family can always drink the remaining ones after the end of the party.
Note: Buy 1-2 bottles of champagne for the cake ceremony.

Decide housewarming party length and the best time to throw?

1. It depends on the party type. If you are planning to organize a housewarming as a tea party, the best time is the evening. If you are planning to include multiple activities such as games, dinner, home tour, etc., then the night time will be preferred.

70-80% of the housewarming parties are likely to celebrate at weekend’s night because people love to talk without any tension of work and have late-night fun.

2. Housewarming length should be somewhere about 3-4 hours long. You should always take care of the noise issues in your building. To avoid noise problems, start your party at 6-7 pm and end it about 10-11 pm at max.

How to avoid noise issues at the housewarming party?

First, you should be aware of noise and party laws in your state, and the consequences you may face if you break them.

The best way to avoid noise problems and enjoy loud music without any hassle is to make your apartment soundproof before the party.

I recently published an article on how to make your apartment soundproof for parties. Read it.

Have a Party favours planned and available before the party

Giving a party favors is an excellent, and gentlemen’s gesture. Even a small thank you card or hamper will make your guests smile.

List of housewarming party favours:

1. Sanitizer Pack (trending)
2. Glowing covid-19 masks (trending)
3. Packets of sweets and chocolate
4. Small scented candles
6. Dishtowels
7. Body lotion and other cosmetic
8. Small house plants

The complete list of housewarming party favors at very cheap rates is available here.

Avoid overhead bright lights at the apartment housewarming party.

Overhead lights aren’t appropriate for the party. They never blend nicely in the party environment. Also, these overhead lights attract insects and lizards.

The best alternative of overhead lights is to install lamps, smart bulbs or party lights like this:

These beautiful party lights give your new apartment a mind-blowing look. I bet your guests will appreciate your choice.

To see a complete variety of lights, click here. I have made a separate post about housewarming lights and decorations.

Go for the online medium of invitation.

Needless to say, the world is operating online. Everyone has access to the internet. The best way to send online invitation is to use these invitations templates available at these websites:

canva.com
evite.com (my favorite because it also provides rsvp tracker)

The invitation creating process is straightforward just choose the available templates and fill in your details and share them with guests on Whatsapp, Facebook, etc.

I have explained how to use these platforms step by step in this article.

Note: There are some very close guest’s for which you might want to send a handwritten invitation card of housewarming event.
Nothing wrong in this, instead check out my favourite offline invitation cards template here.

What are the essential points to mention in the apartment-warming invitation card?

RSVP details
Party timings (starting, ending, activities)
Dinner or not
Gift receipt (only if they are bringing a gift)
About covid-19 mask
About kids and pets (allowed or not allowed)
Gift registry link (learn how to create a housewarming registry in the right way)

Planning and spending budget reasonably

Unlike other parties, throwing a housewarming party for a small apartment requires less money.

Follow these tips and make your budget plan.

1. Do not spend money on hiring an event planner. Housewarming is not a large party like a wedding; you can easily make a full plan with your family in a day or two.

2. Spend money on cleaning supplies, groceries, etc.

3. Avoid purchasing too many items and materials for decoration.

4. Do not spend money on hiring a photographer. Instead, use your phone to click photos or ask a friend to bring a DSLR.

5. Avoid caterers. Go for self-made cooking, order online, or ask a friend to bring some food.

6. Do not purchase a large music system and DJ. If you need a home studio, ask your friend or rent out from the local hardware store. Else use multiple Bluetooth speakers and play music simultaneously using ampme application

Clean the apartment 24 hours before the housewarming party

Cleaning is essential, as it is the first thing noticed by the guests and friends. The cleaning checklist is as follows:

1. Clean balcony
2. Clean ashtrays
3. Clean food tables
4. Clean all the bathrooms and hang a bathroom odor inside them.
5. Mop hallway floor with phenyl
6. To remove bad smell, use good quality room sprays
7. Clean up all dishes and cookware
8. Clean hand towels
9. Clean couch covers
10. Clean dust from carpets
11. Empty trash-bin
12. Clean mirror
13. Clean lamp-shades
14. Empty trash from the refrigerator
15. Clean dust from windows

Remember to mention about the allowance of pets in the Apartment Warming Party Invitation card.

I have noticed pets in many housewarming events. You should clearly mention about bringing a pet or not in the apartment warming invitation because some guests can take their dogs to the party which is very strange and odd especially for parties that are going to be held in the small apartments.

Plan 2-3 activities or games to make your apartment warming party longer

There is no denying the fact that conversation with loved ones is the best entertainment tool for the party. However, if you want to make your housewarming more enjoyable than ever include these games in your activities list:

1. Pizza challenge game (Set time and eat as many as you can)

2. Beer race game

3. Dumb charades game (old is gold)

4. Live acts such as dance, singing.

5. Indian saree challenge (for females, set time and let the countdown begin)

6. Play a video game challenge

7. Butt blast balloon (Count who blast a maximum number of balloons with his/her butt in 60 seconds)

8. Ouija board game (be careful! I have never tried it)

9. Vodka Roulette (my favorite game… see the rules here)

Keeping a housewarming tasks checklist handy

Planning a housewarming requires hundreds of small tasks which are very difficult to remember. Here are some of the jobs mentioned below:

1. Make a grocery list and shopping list and purchase them in advance.
2. Cleaning should be done.
3. Taking care of food arrangements, vegetables, and necessary ingredients
3. Ask a friend to bring a selfie stick (for group photos) at the party.
4. Should track and respond to all of the pending rsvp’s
5. Purchase food place cards and labels
6. Place a tag (men or women) on the toilet
7. Check air conditioner is working or not
8. Ordering ice supplier before the day of the party. Also, tell him that you may need extra ice during the party.
9. Decide dishes to be made.
10. Have an electricity backup
11. Purchase all party supplies for the decoration

Click to download a template of a complete list of housewarming party checklist.

Use balloons, banner, lights, garland, flowers, candles for the housewarming party decoration

In the end, we finally reached the most exciting part of housewarming planning.

In the apartment or house, everything could be decorated, but the eye-catchy areas the guest will notice are the apartment door, a wall of the party hallway, kitchen, and balcony.

To give an idea or you can say the inspiration for decoration see these decorative products below.

Housewarming apartment decoration — **Housewarming wall decoration** by Ray

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FAQ – Apartment Housewarming

Can you have a housewarming party for an apartment?

To throw a housewarming for the small apartment. Follow these steps:

1. Organize a space in the party hall by shifting tables and unnecessary objects to the bedroom and storeroom.
2. Decide what type of food to serve at a housewarming party.
3. Decide party length and the best time to throw.
4. Plan party favors
5. Decide the decoration lights
6. Send online invitations with the help of Greeting Island or Canva Video Invitation templates.
7. Plan a party budget and expenses
8. Clean the apartment
9. Plan 2-3 activities or games to make your party exciting and longer
10. Keeping a housewarming tasks checklist handy
11. Use balloons, banners, lights, garland, flowers, candles for the housewarming party decoration.

Can you have a housewarming party if you are renting?

99% of people do not prefer to throw a housewarming for a rented apartment. As a housewarming is the celebration of your own new home, not a rented home, it will be bizarre to plan a housewarming for it.

Should I invite neighbors to my apartment housewarming party?

You should invite 1-2 neighbors if you have a good bonding with them. It is not compulsory, but if you’re asking for any kind of help such as moving large objects to their home, food preparation, then they should include in your guest list.

How many guests are suitable for an apartment housewarming party?

10-15 is enough for the apartment. More than that causes suffocation and space problems.